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Gordon Buehrig
Gordon Miller Buehrig (June 18, 1904 - January 22, 1990) was a noted automobile designer. Born in Mason City, Illinois, he had early design experience with Packard, General Motors and Stutz. At age 25 he became chief body designer for Duesenberg, where he designed the Model J line of luxury cars. He joined the Auburn Automobile Company in 1934, producing distinctive designs for the Auburn Speedster and the Cord 810/812, the latter recognized for its originality by the Museum of Modern Art in 1951. He also designed the famous 1935 Auburn 851 boattail Speedster. (A kit copy of this car was driven by the title faceman on NBC's "Remington Steele".)
In 1949, Buehrig joined Ford, where his projects included the 1951 Victoria Coupe and the Continental Mark II. He also invented the removable T-top for the Thunderbird, patented 5 June 1951.
Retiring from Ford in 1965, Buehrig taught for five years at the Art Center College of Design in California. In 1979, he produced the design for the Buehrig Motor Car, a limited-production carriage roof coupe.
Buehrig died in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan on January 22, 1990 at the age of 85. His cremated remains are buried in Roselawn Cemetery in Auburn, Indiana.
Buehrig was one of 25 candidates for Car Designer of the Century, an international award given in 1999 to honor the most influential automobile designer of the 20th century.
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